40 days after crime, man who raped Gujarat minor using iron rod gets death

“The survivor herself and other children playing with her gave statements before the court and the child who had gone through abject torture, spoke well in court… The court also ordered Rs 7 lakh compensation to the survivor.”

Taking to X, Sanghavi said the verdict was a clear message from the Gujarat government. “Attack on our daughters = Death.” “As the Deputy Chief minister and Home Minister I am clearly saying that ours is a zero tolerance policy towards offences against minor daughters and women,” he added.

Speaking about the case, SP Gurjar said, “A team led by ASP Simran Bharadwaj conducted the investigation. They collected physical and technical evidence, took witness statements, conducted identification parades, and filed the chargesheet within 12 days on December 19. District Government Pleader SK Vora and APP Prashant Patel, and the victim’s family, requested the court for a speedy trial and the honourable court conducted day-to-day hearings.”

The SP added that the main evidence in the case included the medical test of the survivor, the statements of the survivor and her friends, the hair found at the scene of the crime, the bloodstains found on the iron rod, and the survivor’s identification of the accused. Counselling of the child is ongoing and will continue for some time.

The police said three FIRs had been filed. One was pertaining to the rape and aggravated sexual assault, the second on the shootout in which the police shot at the accused in both legs for “self-defence”, and booked him for attempt to murder on December 10. The third FIR, lodged on December 13, was against a politician who revealed the survivor’s identity on social media.